Hubris

William Shakespeare’s Elizabethan tragedy, ‘Othello’, resonates the damnation and inevitable dissolution of man in the face of compunction, facades, hubris and unbridled jealousy; extremities which foster the machinations of our humanity-the igniter of one’s hamartia. Through the use of dramatic irony, symbolism and soliloquies, Shakespeare journeys one through the complexities and subtleties of the human condition; accentuating the eponymous hero’s inexorable fall from grace which is centred on…

Both Sophocles in his play, Antigone, and Lorraine Hansberry in her play, A Raisin in the Sun, explore the connection between pride and suffering. However, both plays differ in their representation of pride; Sophocles gives pride a negative connotation whereas Hansberry provides insight into why pride is important for people to have—especially when facing oppression or alienation from society. Most notably in Sophocles’ play is Antigone: a woman with strong drive and pride for her family. In…

Oedipus in Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus the King and Kreon in Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone are two kings of the same city, Thebes. These two main characters rule the city in two different periods with different needs. Oedipus has to face the plague that is weakening Thebes. Kreon, on the other hand, has to deal with the issues of the city right after Oedipus’s departure. Despite their completely different ways of leading, Oedipus impulsive and emotional, Kreon more calm and logical, both of them…

On May 17, 1915, after a transatlantic journey from New York City and nearly within sight of its destination of Liverpool, England, the Lusitania was attacked by a German submarine and sunk in less than 20 minutes. This ship was considered to be unsinkable. Despite an announcement from the German embassy on May 1, 1915, stating a warning that commercial vessels were vulnerable to attack in waters encompassed in the war zone, no one paid much attention. Out of about 2,000 passengers aboard, only…

Christopher McCandless and Adam Shepard both commenced upon an adventure with strong motivation and purpose, developing in outcomes that left a significant influence on their intended audience. Some of the similarities they share include determination, ambition, and dependability but the biggest differences they share involve consumerism. McCandless had a larger impact on his spectators because, unlike Shepard, he wanted to prove his self reliance by distancing himself away for the…

Sarah Lamb Burns IB English 22 February 2015 Oedipus Rex In the duration of the play Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles and interpreted by Robert Fagles, Oedipus, the protagonist, was established to have a multifaceted personality –character traits such as nurturing, pride, impulsiveness, persistence, honesty, and moral ambiguity. These various aspects of Oedipus’s character can be identified by means of his interactions with numerous characters; each of which influence various aspects of…

Pride comes before the fall. The main characters in both “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and “Ozymandias” are very prideful. They both put great importance in their individual statures. In one story, there is the very superficial and conceited “lady” being the Grandmother. In the other story, there is the great “king of kings” Ozymandias. The two of them find out that pride can often blind you. In the Bible, in Proverbs 16 it says “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”…

of prophesy, fate, free-will, and tragedy. There are two oracles, Cassandra and Tiresias, who try throughout the plays to warn people of their actions, but the fates of these people are sealed. Agamemnon and Oedipus both have similar tragic flaws, hubris and impulsiveness, that appear to aid in their downfalls. Free will plays a part as the characters try to avoid their fates, but how much free will do they actually have? Lastly, the question is of justice. Cassandra was given the gift of…

lives. The strongest of all. In direct comparison to stories such as Oedipus Rex and the Iliad, where the focal point is on the burliest men. They are, in general, shown to be somewhat more dense or simple. They always have some fatal flaw, primarily hubris. The men in The Hunger Games who lose are always filled with too much pride. However the levels are significantly different, for example, the story of Theseus began with the main character lifting a boulder. Herculean strength is a prime…

The Great Gatsby is set in the heart of the 1920’s, also known as the “roaring twenties”, which is when a new ideology exploded. The idea of this free market, and industrial revolution provided opportunity to seize the market. People were starting to see the potential in becoming rich without restrictions. New York city was the centre of this advancement in society. New York is known for its culture, parties, great restaurants, high population, fashion, downtown areas, fun, media and pop…